PROFESSIONAL Pilot PROGRAM (PPp)

If you are interested in training for a career in aviation, the Professional Pilot Program is for you! This program will provide all of the required training to take you from your first flight to a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a Group 1 (Multi-Engine) Instrument Rating.

PPP AGE REQUIREMENTS

You must be a minimum of 17 years of age to be issued a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), but you can begin flight training at a younger age. The Student Pilot Permit (SPP) can be issued at the age of 14 which allows the holder to fly the aircraft solo (without an instructor on board)!

PPP MEDICAL FITNESS REQUIREMENT

Prior to beginning your flight training for your Private Pilot Licence, you will need to get a Category 1 or 3 aviation medical certificate from a Transport Canada-approved Civil Aviation Medical Examiner (CAME). If you are not planning to fly professionally as a Commercial pilot, a Category 3 medical is all that you need. Below is a list of approved list of medical examiners in the London, Ontario area:

Dr. Bates

Office: 519-438-5101

Address: #208-190 Wortley Road

Dr. Chapeskie

Office: 519-461-0776

Address: Box 130, 21816 Fairview Road (Thorndale)

Dr. Malizia

Office: 519-455-1990

Address: 1033 Dundas Street

Dr. Marshall

Office: 519-245-3590

Address: 31 Caradoc Street North

Dr. Siu

Office: 519-858-4694

Address: 827 Richmond Street

PPP EXAM KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS

You must have a minimum of 40 hours of private pilot ground school instruction including at least the following subjects:

Canadian Aviation Regulations

Aerodynamics and theory of flight

Meteorology

Airframes, engines and systems

Flight instruments

Radio and electronic theory

Navigation

Flight operations

Licensing requirements

Human factors including pilot decision making

You will be required to get a minimum of 60% in each of the following four mandatory areas as well as in the overall written examination on the Transport Canada PPL (PPAER) exam:

Air Law: Regulations, rules and orders, air traffic services, practices and procedures, and licensing requirements relevant to the permit

The ground school training can be completed before, during or after the flight training portion. We recommend that ground school be taken at the same time as flight training so that you can apply the knowledge learned in class to your flying lessons. What you learn in theory in ground school you can put to practical use in the airplane and the lesson will be better remembered.

PPP FLIGHT EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 45 hours total flight training time including:

Minimum 17 hours Dual including a minimum of 3 hours Dual cross country time and a minimum of 5 hours of instrument training (maximum 3 hours in an approved flight simulator)

Minimum 12 hours Solo flight training including a minimum 5 hours of solo cross country time (with a minimum 150nm cross country with a minimum of 2 enroute full stop landings)

The average time to get the PPL in Canada is currently between 65 and 70 hours and completion time varies from student to student. If you do your training on a part time basis (i.e. once per week) you can expect to finish within one year and approximately 65-70 hours. If you do your training on a full-time basis (a minimum of three flights per week), you can expect to complete your training in 4 months or less and take less total time overall. You can help the process along by doing the assigned flight training readings as well as completing the assigned ground school quizzes when assigned.

PPL FLIGHT TEST SKILL REQUIREMENT

You will be required to successfully complete a PPL flight test as pilot-in-command with a Transport Canada-approved pilot examiner

PPL PRIVILEGES

A Private Pilot Licence allows you to fly single-engine, single pilot non-high-performance aircraft during daytime hours (unless a night rating is added), under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather conditions. You may not fly for hire or reward.

PPL TRAINING DURATION

4 Months if flying full time (minimum 3 sessions per week)

12 Months if flying part time (minimum 1 session per week)

PPL PREREQUISITES

Candidate must hold a Category 1 or 3 Aviation Medical

Minimum 17 years of age (14 years of age for first solo)

Your Flight Training

Flight training consists of dual training (where you fly the aircraft with an instructor) and solo training (where you practice flying the aircraft on your own under the supervision of your flight instructor). Before every flight, you will sit down with your flight instructor for a pre-flight briefing where you will discuss what air exercises are to be flown and how you will perform them. Training flights generally last about one hour and how much of that time you will spend at the controls yourself depends on what phase of your training you are in. Both you and your flight instructor have full sets of aircraft controls in front of your seats. Your first few training flights will familiarize you with the controls of the aircraft and you will have control once the aircraft has reached a safe altitude. After a few more training flights you will learn how to conduct the takeoff and landing and will very quickly start to do all of the flying.

Once you are comfortable and safe with the airplane (usually after about 15 hours of flying), your instructor will send you up flying on your own for your first solo flight. Your first solo is just a short flight, but any pilot will tell you that their first solo is one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of their life. Before you can go for your first solo you must have obtained your aviation medical, radio licence and passed a short exam on air regulations (called the PSTAR exam). After you have gone solo, the remainder of your training will be a combination of dual training to learn more advanced sequences and solo training to practice what you have learned. As soon as you and your flight instructor agree that you are ready, you will complete a practical PPL flight test with a certified examiner. If you are successful with the flight test and also pass the Transport Canada written exam, then you will be issued with your Private Pilot Licence!